Rains Bring Relief to Zimbabwe's Farmers as Growing Season Peaks.
Heavy rains swept across Zimbabwe this week. The weather office says wet weather will stay until mid-January. Big storms dropped rain all over - Rusape got 53mm, and Hwange saw 46mm. Other cities like Bulawayo and Kadoma had good rainfall.
More storms will come tomorrow. The morning might start with rain in some parts. By afternoon, thunder and rain will hit the whole country. The north will see the heaviest downpours.
Farm chiefs want farmers to plant fast. "The growing time is getting short," said Leonard Munamati, who leads farm services. He noted many areas got strong rains during the holidays. Plants are growing well, and farmers can add fertilizer.
Rutendo Nhongonhema from the farm office shared tips for better crops. She said farmers should add small amounts of fertilizer often, which helps plants grow quickly and strongly.
She warned about bugs, mainly fall armyworms. These pests come out most in December and January, so farmers need to check their fields twice weekly.
Weeds cause big problems. Bad weed control can kill half the crop. Nhongonhema said farmers should pull weeds by hand or cut them down when rain makes spraying hard.
The new rains helped farmers who waited through dry times. They must work fast and smart to get good harvests. Clear fields and quick planting will make the difference between success and failure this season.
Heavy rains swept across Zimbabwe this week. The weather office says wet weather will stay until mid-January. Big storms dropped rain all over - Rusape got 53mm, and Hwange saw 46mm. Other cities like Bulawayo and Kadoma had good rainfall.
More storms will come tomorrow. The morning might start with rain in some parts. By afternoon, thunder and rain will hit the whole country. The north will see the heaviest downpours.
Farm chiefs want farmers to plant fast. "The growing time is getting short," said Leonard Munamati, who leads farm services. He noted many areas got strong rains during the holidays. Plants are growing well, and farmers can add fertilizer.
Rutendo Nhongonhema from the farm office shared tips for better crops. She said farmers should add small amounts of fertilizer often, which helps plants grow quickly and strongly.
She warned about bugs, mainly fall armyworms. These pests come out most in December and January, so farmers need to check their fields twice weekly.
Weeds cause big problems. Bad weed control can kill half the crop. Nhongonhema said farmers should pull weeds by hand or cut them down when rain makes spraying hard.
The new rains helped farmers who waited through dry times. They must work fast and smart to get good harvests. Clear fields and quick planting will make the difference between success and failure this season.
